Police seek help to locate yacht with escaped prisoner on board

Tongan police were forced to pull out of a pursuit of the yacht, Sea Oak yesterday after threats were made by the occupant.

Escaped prisoner, Dean Jay Fletcher had fired several flares at the police boat in a 5-hour standoff.

A police statement said Fletcher was believed to be holding a bottle of benzene liquid and threatened to set fire to the police boat with the use of the inflammable benzene and flares.

The police were not in a position to counter the threat and did not have the capacity to maintain the pursuit in open water.

“The decision made by the police officers, to end the pursuit in all the circumstances was the right one, and now our energy goes into locating this desperate man and returning him to face justice for the charge of murder” says Commissioner Steve Caldwell.

International police services, Maritime networks and commercial flights have been alerted.

Fletcher, an American national has been charged with murder.

He escaped from police custody in Vava’u early yesterday morning.

Fletcher is alleged to have murdered his Canadian wife on Vava’u in June.